Ocala man accused of breaking baby's arm charged with child abuse

Published: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 1:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 1:58 p.m.

An Ocala man accused of breaking the left arm of a 10-week-old boy was charged Monday with aggravated child abuse.

Brandon Jeffrey Fairweather, 21, was arrested and booked at the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

Deputies did not release the relationship between Fairweather and the victim, but said the child is recovering and is in foster care.

At the jail, Fairweather told a Star-Banner reporter that the child is his son, but declined to speak further.

On Aug. 21, the Department of Children and Families contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to report a suspicious incident involving an infant. The next day, a DCF investigator and Inspector Mike Mongeluzzo of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office went to the incident location in Ocala and met with Fairweather and the child’s mother, both of whom told Mongeluzzo they would speak to him on the advice of their attorneys.

A DCF investigator also talked with the child’s mother, who said she was not feeling well and that the child’s father was taking care of him while she watched television and took a nap. She said she heard the baby screaming and went to a room where the father was holding the baby and said he thought the child’s arm was dislocated and he needed to go to the hospital.

Mongeluzzo talked with the homeowner, who told him that on Aug. 19 she heard the juvenile crying in the kitchen. She said Fairweather was with the child at the time and wrapped the baby in a blanket and took him outside, then came back in and said someone should take the boy to the hospital because something was wrong with his arm.

The child was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, then was transferred to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

Mongeluzzo was told that the juvenile suffered a supracondylar humerus fracture and that the baby did not have enough mass to fracture his own bone from a simple household fall. He also was told that the fracture was consistent with an adult using some type of force on the child.

After DCF reports, interviews and other findings indicated that Fairweather was alone with the infant prior to the injury, officials obtained a warrant for his arrest.

<p>An Ocala man accused of breaking the left arm of a 10-week-old boy was charged Monday with aggravated child abuse. </p><p>Brandon Jeffrey Fairweather, 21, was arrested and booked at the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond. </p><p>Deputies did not release the relationship between Fairweather and the victim, but said the child is recovering and is in foster care.</p><p>At the jail, Fairweather told a Star-Banner reporter that the child is his son, but declined to speak further.</p><p>On Aug. 21, the Department of Children and Families contacted the Marion County Sheriff's Office to report a suspicious incident involving an infant. The next day, a DCF investigator and Inspector Mike Mongeluzzo of the Marion County Sheriff's Office went to the incident location in Ocala and met with Fairweather and the child's mother, both of whom told Mongeluzzo they would speak to him on the advice of their attorneys.</p><p>A DCF investigator also talked with the child's mother, who said she was not feeling well and that the child's father was taking care of him while she watched television and took a nap. She said she heard the baby screaming and went to a room where the father was holding the baby and said he thought the child's arm was dislocated and he needed to go to the hospital.</p><p>Mongeluzzo talked with the homeowner, who told him that on Aug. 19 she heard the juvenile crying in the kitchen. She said Fairweather was with the child at the time and wrapped the baby in a blanket and took him outside, then came back in and said someone should take the boy to the hospital because something was wrong with his arm.</p><p>The child was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, then was transferred to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.</p><p>Mongeluzzo was told that the juvenile suffered a supracondylar humerus fracture and that the baby did not have enough mass to fracture his own bone from a simple household fall. He also was told that the fracture was consistent with an adult using some type of force on the child.</p><p>After DCF reports, interviews and other findings indicated that Fairweather was alone with the infant prior to the injury, officials obtained a warrant for his arrest.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>